Back from the grave: Classic games get new life

The video game world has always had a soft spot for zombies – but this latest batch has it doing cartwheels.

Classic games, once left for dead, are seeing a resurgence these days as publishers begin to realize the value in their back catalogs. Some titles are free, some cost a nominal amount, but they all offer a nostalgic trip back in time for veteran players and a glimpse at what paved the path for today’s games for newcomers.

Unlike the movie industry, which has long known the value of the syndication market, game makers have tended to ignore titles that are several years old. Retailers won’t carry them and the industry’s focus has always been on the next great thing.

In Pictures: Classic Games Get New Life

But as graphics get more realistic and games share more of the same characteristics, players have begun to feel an itch for the titles that made them fans to begin with. The graphics may be outdated, but the focus on fun is just as strong as it used to be.

Several publishers give away those games, often as a way to thank a loyal community. Bethesda Softworks recently surprised its fans by making “The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall” available for free on the series 15th anniversary. (The original “Elder Scrolls: Arena” was made free five years earlier.) Similarly, Rockstar Games made downloads of the first and second “Grand Theft Auto” games available for free as a holiday gift to its fans in 2004.

More often, publishers give older games away to help promote an upcoming sequel. That will soon be the case with “MechWarrior 4” (and all of its expansion packs), as the owner of the franchise prepares a reboot of the game. 2K Games did the same thing with “Sid Meier’s Railroad Tycoon!” in 2006 and Electronic Arts did it with the original strategy smash “Command & Conquer” in 2007.

As the retro resurgence has grown, some publishers are seeing ways to make money off of their old games as well. LucasArts recently struck a deal with Valve Software’s Steam digital distribution system to sell such classic titles as “Loom” and “The Dig” for $4.99. (More recent games, such as “Star Wars: Battlefront II,” are available for $20.)

Another site specializing in old titles, GoG.com (short for Good old Games) offers such classics as “Freespace,” “Ground Control” and “Beyond Good & Evil” for $6 to $10 a pop.

When it comes to games, everything old really is new again.

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